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Working with the Media

The media relations office facilitates communication between the College and the media, with the goal of generating positive news coverage of the Hamilton community. The office serves as the key point of contact between the College and the news media, and the executive director of communications serves as the principal college spokesperson.

Members of the office works with Hamilton’s faculty, students, administrators and staff to publicize events, accomplishments, initiatives, awards and research and to promote opinions and expert comment on issues in the news. We are able to assist members of the Hamilton community when preparing for media interviews, editing opinions for submission and alerting specific constituencies to campus news. We welcome the opportunity to work with all members of the campus community. Our contact information can be found at the bottom of this page.

If a reporter contacts you directly for comment relating to your area of expertise, please respond directly and then ask for his or her name and telephone number so that someone in the media relations office can follow up with that individual to ensure that you are properly credited and to add his or her information to our data base for future reference.

It is important when working with the media to respond to requests quickly and succinctly. Rapid responses (within an hour or two) enhance our working relationships with the media. Even if we must decline a request, a quick response is appreciated. Reporters often are under extremely tight deadlines, and a delay of a day, may mean the difference between favorable coverage and a lost opportunity.

If a reporter contacts you for official comment, please ask for the person's name and telephone number so that someone in the media relations office can offer assistance And ensure that the College’s official position is communicated clearly.

That said, the College supports freedom of speech and the right of its employees to speak directly to reporters. Please keep in mind that in choosing to do so, you are speaking as an individual, not officially on behalf of the College. It is important to make that point clear to reporters. As a courtesy, we ask that you notify our media relations office of any media interviews in which you decide to participate.

Publicizing Events

Although the media relations office works to identify news and events,we also rely on members of the community to share such information with us. Doing so enables us to represent the College as comprehensively as possible. If you have news that you feel should be promoted in the media, please contact us. If your news is time-sensitive, it is always best to provide as much advance notice as possible (at least two weeks), since some media outlets have early deadlines. The easiest way to communicate with the media relations staff is by e-mailing the office at pr@hamilton.edu or you can call 315-859-4680. Our individual contact information is listed below.